


You and Your Smartass Mouth

by CallMeJubilee



Category: Little Mix (Band), One Direction (Band)
Genre: F/M, Nesy, ZADE, mentions Zerrie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-31
Updated: 2014-10-31
Packaged: 2018-02-23 10:32:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2544332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CallMeJubilee/pseuds/CallMeJubilee





	You and Your Smartass Mouth

"Can I help who's next?" Niall asked, looking up from the cup he had just scrawled a name on. He probably spelled it wrong too, and passed it to the side to be filled with its order. He hated his job during the fall season with a passion, everyone ordered the same thing.

A fucking pumpkin spice latte.

They had so many other flavors to choose from, but as soon as his place of employment announced that pumpkin spice was back, it was the only thing he rang up on the register on the first day they started serving it. All of the other delicious flavors were neglected and overlooked because of a damn pumpkin. Before working there he would laugh at how serious things had gotten over pumpkin flavored things; lattes, doughnuts, cakes, cupcakes, he'd seen pumpkin flavored lipgloss in a store yesterday. Apparently it was real out there when it came to drinks, and if your latte game was weak, you had no reason to be in a cafe. But Niall had to grin and bear it because that was the only thing his nose could smell for hours, and even then, the stench of pumpkin would cling to his skin and uniform until he got home to shower. It was a wonder how he had made it through three, going on four, years of this craze. He'd seen a fight break out over the drink because two girls who coincidentally were named Kylie, ordered it back to back and there had been a hold up when a coworker had to run and get more cups.

Niall hated pumpkin season.

Niall took a brief look at the blonde in front of him and asked, "How may I help you?"

She glanced at the menu and Niall sighed. He'd seen her yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that, and she ordered the same thing.

"Okay, one medium pumpkin spice latte," he told her and started punching it into the register.

Her eyes widened in amazement. "OMG! How did you know that's what I wanted?" she asked him, so genuinely curious that it was hurting him on the inside. It was so predictable that it was pathetic.

"Lucky guess," Niall muttered. "Daisy, right?" That's what he remembered writing on her cup yesterday.

"OMG! Yes!" she squealed, making Niall sigh in agony. "Are you psychic?"

Niall's plain expression couldn't have been better when he answered, "Yes," sarcastically with a completely straight face.

"Really? Then what am I thinking?" she asked, giving Niall a hard stare and pursing her lips.

He almost replied quickly with nothing, judging by her hyper blonde hair and attitude, but he didn't want to be entirely rude, he was the manager, after all.

"Yer thinkin' about.." Getting the hell outta me line, he thought tiredly. "Gettin' lip injections."

"Oh. My. God..." Her jaw had dropped open in shock.

Niall sighed again and could see the customers behind her becoming impatient.

"That'll be $5.57."

_x

"I'm leaving," his suave, dark haired coworker, Zayn, announced, giving Niall a pat on the shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow, Pumpkin King!"

"Fuck off, ya dick," Niall replied knowing there weren't any customers there to hear him and complain about his language. Zayn knew of Niall's deep seeded hated for pumpkins during the fall and always wanted to make a joke out of it. This wasn't a game! Niall despised everything pumpkin. The only pumpkin he had any love for was the one that turned into a carriage for Cinderella, and even that pumpkin wasn't shit because it turned back into one after midnight; it had one job!

This was his favorite part of the day, closing time, and he was so ready to go home in the next ten minutes. He could already feel the way his couch cushions would cradle his pale cheeks and he longed to be home as soon as he finished cleaning so he could watch his favorite shows. Fall shows were the best shows and you didn't need a pumpkin spice latte to enjoy them.

"Hey, watch your mouth!" Zayn scolded and chuckled on his way out the door. "You've got a customer!"

"No, the hell I don't!" Niall yelled back at him, turning around to see that Zayn had been telling the truth.

Cerulean eyes took her in and he froze as she approached his register. Damn, he thought. Her hair had been slightly disheveled from the fierce wind outside, her ruby red lips were smirking at him, and her eyes... Damn, he thought again.

She was a bombshell.

"Yes, the hell you do!" she joked not paying him much attention and instead looking at the menu.

"Um..how can I help you?" Niall asked weakly, still staring at her and marveling in her beauty.

Now where has this fit thing been all these years? he asked himself. Never once had she graced this place because she was a stunner, and Niall was sure he would remember if Venus ever stopped by.

"I'd like a -"

"Pumpkin spice latte," he supplied, ready to punch in her order and wondering if she was as easily impressed as the blonde from earlier.

Her eyes caught his, an annoyed expression covering her face. "Ew, no. I'd like an apple cider."

"Apple cider?"

"What? You've never heard of it before?" she snapped. "It's on your menu, you should know what it is!"

"I-I do. But.." he trailed off, gaping at her and her attitude. He had gotten his answer too. Whoever she was, she was not impressed by his pseudo psychic abilities.

"What? Am I supposed to just automatically order pumpkin spice lattes or something? And close your mouth, you look stupid," she told him and dug in her pocket for her money. "Hurry up," she quickly looked at his name tag, "Nialler, I wanna go home."

Niall was stuck. Should he be offended by her rudeness or just a wee bit turned on by it?

He closed his mouth like she said and gulped. "One apple cider for..?"

"Louise," she replied curtly, looking at her phone in her left hand that sounded with a text and sliding her crumpled bill over to him.

"Louise?" he repeated. She didn't act like a Louise...however Louise's acted.

"That's what I told ya, ain't it?" she snapped and Niall held his hands up defensively, one with her cup, the other with the green marker that he picked out just because it matched her eyes.

"Yeah.." Niall put his hands down, wrote "Louise" on the cup in his best script and turned around to fill it.

"Are you fucking serious?" she asked, and he looked over his shoulder to see if she was talking to him, but she was looking at her phone with a scowl on her full lips.

He capped her drink and slid it over to her. "One apple cider.." he mumbled.

She looked at the cup, scowl still present, and waited for Niall to give her change.

It turned into a stare off and Niall could tell he was losing. He wanted to blink, but he wanted to look at her as long as possible. He was afraid that the enchantress in front of him would disappear if he did.

"What the fuck are you staring at? Give me my change so I can go the hell home," she demanded.

Only now did Niall take notice of the wrinkled bill she placed on his counter. He slid it back towards her and said, "It's on the house. I was gonna dump it anyways.." Besides her, there was only two other people that had apple cider, and it was an elderly couple.

"Must be my lucky day," she muttered, snatching her money back and shoving it into her pocket.

"Or mine...because I'm Irish," Niall blurted out and she quirked her perfect eyebrow up at him.

"Yeah. I noticed," she said slowly. It wasn't everyday you met someone from across the pond in this city, but she was in too much of a rush to care. Her attention went back to her phone when it rang and she scoffed at the name on the screen. "Bye, Irish," she told him, walking away and answering her phone with a sharp, "What?"

Niall watched her retreating form and slapped himself when she was out of sight. "Or mine...because I'm Irish," he said mimicking himself and going back to mopping the floor angrily while continuing to berate himself. "Why didn't ya write yer number on the cup ya dummy?"

_x

"I'm gonna cut you if you drag me in there," Jesy threatened her friend, pulling away from the petite brunette clinging on her arm.

"Jesy, please!" her friend begged. "I can't go in there by myself!"

"Jade, I said no!" she yelled and tugged her arm with so much force that Jade ended up stumbling and falling into her.

Jade hugged her buxom bestie and pleaded, "Please, Jesy? There's this barista and he's so hot, like, I swear, and last time he winked at me. I can't go in there by myself!"

"Jade!" Jesy snapped, prying Jade's slim arms from around her waist. "Take a moment and -"

"I am breathing!"

"Good. But take a moment a let your balls drop," Jesy told her and snickered. "It's not that serious."

"But what if it is that serious?" Jade's eyes widened and she gasped. "What if he's The One?"

Jesy scoffed and rolled her eyes. Jade wanted The One to work at a cafe? Not that he couldn't but..really?

"You need to stop with this hopeless romantic shit, Jade. It's getting sad."

"I'm not sad!" Jade argued, crossing her arms and feeling offended that her outspoken friend would say such a thing.

"I didn't say that you were sad, I said it. Like, the situation. Every time a cute guy starts flirting with you, suddenly he's The One," Jesy explained.

"That's not true."

Jesy held up one finger and cleared her throat, ready to pop Jade's bubble. "Sam." She held up a second finger. "Harry." A third. "Liam... Do I need to keep going?"

Jade sighed and hung her head because Jesy was right, she had a bad habit of overreacting and getting her hopes up about flirty strangers.

"No.."

"Alright," Jesy said, slinging her arm over her saddened friends shoulders. "We'll go in and I'll wait for you."

Jade perked up instantly and hugged Jesy again. "I love you!"

"I mean, how could you not?" Jesy replied arrogantly, smirking and flipping her hair over to one side.

The older woman took her arm off of Jade's shoulders and walked into the coffee shop first. Jesy had a seat, crossed her legs. She was bored, yet curious to see how her shy friend was going to talk to "The One," but Jade stood infront of Jesy expectantly, twirling her hair and blushing when she spotted him and made eye contact.

"Go order something so you can start talking to him," Jesy said waving off her friend and taking out her phone and opening an app. "Go."

"I um.."

"Jade," she said slowly in warning, looking up from Instagram.

"Please?"

"It'll be fine if you go over there." Jesy looked around the younger woman to see who was working behind counter.

"Jesy...please?"

She huffed and stuck her hand out. "What do you want and what's his name? ..And I'm getting myself something since you're making me work."

Jade relayed her order, his name, handed Jesy the money and sat in Jesy's once occupied seat as Jesy stood in line and waited.

Niall had been watching for her and wondering if God was just screwing with him by bringing "Louise" to his job right before closing time. The picture of her hadn't left his mind, though it had started to fade when he saw so many faces everyday, and the more he thought about her, he realized he had overlooked her nose piercing when they met. It had been a week since then and he resigned his hopes that he would ever see her again. Niall wanted to get real and accept that seeing "Louise" was a one time thing.

Cool.

Until she came in with another brunette trailing behind her and he freaked out and spilled that damn pumpkin spice latte all over his uniform. Immediately Zayn was ushering him away because he knew Niall better than anyone there, and he knew Niall was about to explode with anger and a bountiful and explict list of words that weren't appropriate for the work place. The temperature was over 300 degrees and that was enough to scald him, bits of his once pale arms were now lobster red.

He needed to look into workers compensation.

After Niall cleaned himself up, tended to his burns and put on the extra shirt Zayn always brought to work, he was pissed and rightfully so. He was mad at the world and not in the mood for anyone, not even "Louise," who was impolitely snapping her fingers in his face and looking equally irritated.

"How may I help you?" he muttered.

"Finally!" she said in exasperation. "I should report you to your manager."

"I am the manager," he said lowly, trying not to grit his teeth when it was her fault he burned himself.

"Then I should report you to your boss," she corrected and Niall scoffed. His boss would never fire him.

"How may I help you?" he repeated.

"One salted caramel mocha and one apple cider," she ordered, handing Jade's money to him and waiting as he rang it up and got her change and receipt.

"Name?" he asked, ready to write "Louise" on the cup and slide it over to Zayn.

"J."

"J?"

"Yeah. Don't you know your alphabet or do you have a hearing problem?" she sneered, moving over and waiting for her order to be filled.

Niall choose to ignore her comment and tend to the guy behind her with a glare because he had been eyeing her butt during their conversation.

"Zayn?" Jesy asked when he turned away from the machine and double checking his name tag. She'd give Jade her props, Zayn was definitely attractive, not really her type, but he was hot.

"Uh..yeah?" he replied and recognized her as the girl he held the door open for, like, a week ago before he left.

"Okay, do you see her?" Jesy asked, pointing over to Jade, nervously doodling on a napkin; another bad habit.

"Yeah?"

"Her name is Jade," she told him and when Jade heard her name she looked over at her older friend. Then Zayn smiled at her and gave her an upwards, "Sup, girl" nod, making Jade blush and hide her face again. "And as you can see, she's really shy.."

"It's cute though," he said watching Jade try to peek through her hair. When Zayn caught her eyes, he sent her a cheeky wink and she turned her entire body away from him, her chair scrapping the floor noisily and gaining attention the attention of others and making Zayn chuckle.

"Exactly, and -"

And Niall tried so hard not to listen to their conversation, but then she started laughing, and Zayn was laughing, and when she put her hand on Zayn's arm, he yelled at his friend to cut the chitchat and told him to go back to work.

"Louise" who was now "J" smiled at Zayn once more before she left, giving Niall an annoyed look for interrupting her talk and joined her friend at their table.

"What'd he say?" Jade asked nervously, peeking at him again and pulling at her clothes.

"Well, he thinks you're cute.." Jesy said, handing Jade her drink, change and receipt. "Can we leave now?"

"That's it? I'm cute? Did you get his number? Did you give him mine?" Jade was frantic. If Jesy didn't at least exchange numbers with him she was going to be so embarrassed and could never go there again.

"Jade? Don't I always look out for you?" Jesy sipped her beverage and followed the younger woman's line of sight to see her looking at her newest infatuation.

"Always.." she replied unsurely, biting her bottom lip.

"Alright, so that means I got his number. It's on the back of the receipt." Jesy covered her ears when Jade let out a squeal and chuckled when she finished. "He wants you to text him tonight. He gets off at nine."

Jade squeaked again before saying, "Jesy? Have I told you how much I love you?"

Jesy smiled. "All the time, Babe. All the time. Can we go now?"

"Sure," Jade replied, standing up, completely satisfied now that she had his number and looking at his handwriting on the small paper in her hand. "Are they having a special on drinks?" she wondered flipping the receipt over again and pushing in her chair.

"No? I don't think so.." Jesy wasn't sure and she hadn't seen any signs saying there was.

"Huh..that's weird.." Jade muttered following Jesy towards the door, putting the paper away safely in her purse and giving Zayn once final glance.

"What's weird?" Jesy held the door open and let Jade walk through.

"He didn't charge you for the apple cider," Jade answered, blushing when Zayn winked at her again. God, he was just too damn fine to be real.

Jesy looked over at Niall who was done servicing customers and had begun making a fresh brew of coffee. He was cute, a bit smaller than the guys she preferred, but easy on the eyes, and it was obvious that he wasn't a natural blonde.

Niall felt someone's eyes on him and looked around the place to see who it was, the first place his eyes landed on were where "J" and her friend sat, only to find they had left and he missed it. His eyes darted to the door in hopes that they had just left, he knew he just heard the door open and close, to see J staring at him. Niall was sure she was giving him the eye, but he didn't want to get ahead of himself, this was the same woman who insinuated that he didn't know his ABC's, had a hearing problem and threatened him with his boss, she certainly wouldn't be giving him the eye...would she?

Niall tested this and sent her a smile, not too much teeth or too much gums the way his older brother advised him not to, just a genuine smile.

Jesy scoffed and walked away with her nose in the air when he did. Yeah, the guy was cute and had a nice smile, but that didn't mean anything.

It was going to take more than free apple cider to get her attention.

_x

"You've been textin' her nonstop and smilin' like a freak, so don't tell me ya don't like her!" Niall said pushing a grinning Zayn on their way to work. They lived in the same direction and would meet up whenever they were scheduled together and Niall always scheduled them together.

"I don't!" he denied, but the grin on his face spread wider.

"Yes, ya do! What's it been, a week?"

"A week and a day," Zayn corrected, not missing a beat and falling into Niall's carefully laid trap. When the blonde began snickering Zayn finally realized his mistake. "That doesn't mean I like her!"

"Of course it doesn't," Niall replied and then smirked. "Eight days, six hours, 27 minutes and 39 seconds sound about right?" he asked slyly.

Zayn elbowed him and didn't reply because yes, that was about right..it was actually 48 minutes, not 27 so Niall could suck it.

Not that it mattered when Niall had been keeping track himself..though not to that extent. A week and a day was good, tracking the hours, minutes and seconds would make him feel creepy and obsessed, which he wasn't, absolutely not after their last encounter.

"So when are ya gonna see her? Cause I'm sick of ya poppin' boners and shootin' off in yer pants at work whenever she texts you."

Slight exaggeration...but only on the shooting off part. Zayn had embarrassingly let his imagination and hormones get the best of him on a few occasions when Jade sent him some flirty messages along with pictures that could be seen as provocative. His Jade (yes, his) wouldn't dare send any indecent pictures to him, he's asked for them and she always said no, but her innocence turned him on. Zayn didn't even know that he was into shy girls, he was sure he wasn't, but he was pretty into Jade right now; she was really sweet and naive in a way that made her irresistible and tempting.

"She wants to go on a double date, I've told you that she's really shy, but her friend doesn't have anyone to bring..." Zayn hinted.

He peered at Niall from the corner of his eye to gauge his reaction. If Niall thought Zayn had missed the dash of annoyance in his voice when he snapped at him for talking to Jesy, then he was wrong. Zayn flirted with plenty of girls at work and Niall got on him about it, but never had Niall done so in a tone that said he was upset. It was usually more of a: haha, can't you flirt later? type of humor when Niall chided him. But not that time, that time was a: if you don't stop talking to her I'm going to throw a pot of coffee on you and see how you like it, ha fucking ha.

"Ya mean the one that came in with her that day?" Louise J... Venus.

"You remember her?"

"Yeah. I wouldn't be surprised if she couldn't find a date though. Chicks gotta bad attitude and a smartass mouth. No guy is gonna put up with that." Niall scoffed. Not even him. She didn't have to turn up her nose at him and walk away the way she did. He had given her two free drinks when he didn't have to, she could've and should've been nicer.

"Jade says she's really cool.."

"Mmhmm." He doubted it.

"Jade says that she only acts that way with people she doesn't know, but she's really nice.."

"Yep." He doubted that too.

"Jade says that -"

Niall groaned and pushed Zayn away from him. "Jade says! Jade says!" he mocked. "Why don'tcha just fuck her and get over it? Stop acting so lovesick, yer killin' me!"

Zayn wished Jade would let that happen and he knew it wouldn't anytime soon. The only chance he had at sex with Jade was if they actually became a couple and he still waited 90 days, or she secretly had a freaky side that she was hiding from him and unexpectedly threw that ass back.

His chances were incredibly slim and it seemed like he'd have to wait those 90 days; Jade was no freak.

"Jade isn't like that," Zayn said with a smile. They facetimed one night and though she admitted that she was sleeping in a silk nightie she bought online, she refused to show it to him by keeping her covers up to her chin the entire time. It was hilarious how she blushed whenever he pointed out that he could see her collarbone.

"You said the same thing about Perrie, but you changed her mind," Niall muttered. "Wasn't she celibate, or a virgin or somethin?"

Zayn rolled his eyes. "Defintely not."

Perrie was not celibate and she certainly wasn't a virgin, she was way to loose down there to be either of those. Plus the way she came onto him after drinking a ginger ale when they were just hanging out at her place further suggested otherwise.

"But it's cool. It suits her," Zayn told him, smiling again. "I'd probably have a heart attack if Jade randomly started taking off her clothes."

Niall's eyes bulged outwards in surprise at Zayn's words. "And that would be a problem?"

"Well, yeah..I think so," Zayn admitted, scratching his head unsurely. It sounded weird for him to say something like that and it felt weird saying it. He liked that Jade was a little conservative, she was making him work for it and that wasn't something he did. All it took was a smile, compliment, and his hand on a girl's knee before she started getting down on both of them.

"Wow.." they muttered in unison and looked at each other, knowing exactly what the other was thinking and about to say.

When Niall began to smirk Zayn groaned and punched him in the arm for it.

"Don't even say it!" Zayn warned, narrowing his eyes at the younger guy when they reached the door.

"Say what?" Niall asked innocently, unlocking the door with a soft click after turning the key.

"Hey, just because I think -"

"Na," Niall interrupted and tutted, smirk in place. "If you want the rabbit, ya gotta chase the tail.. and yer chasing it... So you must like her."

They stepped inside, Zayn went towards the tables to take the chairs down, and Niall went to the lights and started setting up and turning on the machines.

"And giving people free drinks isn't considered chasing the tail?" Zayn replied, watching Niall stumble and missing the light switch. "Yeah, Jade told me about the free apple cider you gave her friend."

"It would've gone to waste anyways," Niall said coolly, flicking on the light he missed. "Ya know I don't like wastin' things."

"Now are you talking about the first cup or the second?"

"Both would've gone to waste."

"Right..." Zayn knew that Niall never gave out free cups of anything to anyone that wasn't an employee or wasn't apart of a special they had. Case closed. Niall was attracted to her. "So are you coming on this date with me or not?"

"I'll think about it."

"Before or after her third free cup?" Zayn asked, laughing when Niall threw a penny he found on the floor at him.

"Fuck off, Zayn!"

_x

"I didn't know it was going to rain today," the girl sweeping beside Niall said quietly.

Niall was leaning over the counter tiredly. He wasn't really tired, but the rain was lulling him to sleep and business was too slow. There were two customers enjoying their drinks and the last order he had was almost 45 minutes ago, he was considering sending Zayn and Leigh-Anne home and closing the shop early.

"Me either. Thought it was gonna be a nice day," Niall responded with a loud yawn.

"I wore the wrong shoes.."

Niall took a chance and looked down at her feet to see her toes painted pink.

"Don't think you should be working in heels anyways, Leigh. Heels ain't part of the dress code," he said in a bored tone. He didn't really care as long as she knew he couldn't sue if she fell, she wouldn't get any money anyways.

"I know, but Justin and I are -"

"Justin? Since when have you been hanging out with Justin?" Niall was a little shocked, honestly. Justin was another coworker but the guy hardly ever showed up. Niall loved how he could go everywhere else but neglected to come to work. How Justin was still employed was a mystery and not Niall's problem.

Leigh-Anne playfully pushed him and picked at her fluffy hair. "It's not like that. He's not too bad, but he's fun to hang around."

"In heels.."

"Well.."

"Thought ya hated heels?" he snickered.

"I don't hate them, I just don't love them.." Leigh-Anne explained clicking them together. "But they're alright."

"I tried walking in heels once. One of the worst experiences of me life. Thought I broke a toe," Niall joked. "Never again."

"Why would you walk in -"

"Long story," he interjected with a roll of his eyes. "If I send ya home early, will ya tell Justin to show up sometimes? Like, whenever he has time in his very busy schedule?"

"Would you? Because this rain and my hair and these shoes..." Leigh-Anne trailed off. Not that it was a problem, but it could become a problem later on.

"Will ya tell him?"

"I'll text him right now!" she promised, kissing Niall's cheek and rushing to her locker with a fast clickety-clack of her shoes echoing through the near empty café.

"I saw that," Zayn said when Niall watched her leave and turn back around like he hadn't.

"Ya just see everythin', don'tcha, Zayn? The ultimate peeper!" said Niall back to him in frustration. "Ya peep everythin!"

"I'm just saying that maybe you're still not over that crush you had on her."

"That was like, a year ago!" Niall pointed out. "I'm over it, but that doesn't mean that Leigh isn't still fit."

Zayn shook his head. "She's gonna sue you for sexual harassment."

"No, she won't, she loves working here and she's the one who always touchin' and kissin' me, okay?" Niall's lips circled upwards. "I just don't stop her."

"You need help, Niall.."

"I'm perfectly fine, Zayn."

"You should come on this double date with me, Niall."

"You should piss off and go home, Zayn."

"Sweet," Zayn replied untying his apron before Niall could take it back.

"That's it? Yer really just gonna leave me here?" Niall asked dramatically, just as Leigh-Anne walked back into view.

"What? No! I'll be back for you," she promised, thinking he was talking to her and leaning over the counter to hug the Irishmen who sent a wink over towards Zayn.

'Peep this, ya Bitch!' Niall mouthed over to him when he patted Leigh-Anne's back so she would let go, and when she did, she pulled away, kissed his cheek again and smiled.

"Bye, Niall!" She waved. "I'll see you tomorrow!" she said before rushing out of the door and into the pouring rain, covering her head with her jacket.

Niall chuckled at Zayn's confused expression.

"See?"

"She didn't even say bye to me.." Zayn murmured.

"Don't worry, she was too into this Irishmen to even think about you," Niall snickered, running his hand down his body.

Zayn ignored him and went to hang this apron up and send a quick text to Jade to see if she was busy and if they had time to talk when he got home. He loved the sound of her voice, not that he'd ever admit it to anyone, especially not Niall.

"I'll see ya tomorrow," Niall told him when Zayn finally emerged from the room, smiling because Jade texted him back almost instantly.

"Yeah..." Zayn replied absently, his fingers tapping away at his phone.

"Textin' Jade?" Niall asked with a smirk.

"Yeah..."

"Are ya gay?" he teased, knowing that Zayn wasn't paying attention to anything that wasn't Jade's latest reply.

"Yeah..." Zayn stopped walking and his head snapped towards Niall with a frown and furrowed brows. Niall was cackling. "No!"

Niall held his stomach before he fell over in laughter. Zayn flipped him off and left out the door, leaving Niall by himself with the other customer who looked like they were ready to leave as well. When they did, Niall quickly swept the spots Leigh-Anne had missed and wiped down the tables; the rain hadn't let up. The sky had darkened, the rain was pouring down harder than before, and Niall regretted staying to clean, he missed his opportunity of not getting completely soaked.

He had a sat in one of the chairs and laid his head down on the table, looking out the pumpkin decorated window, curtesy of Zayn; rainy days always made him homesick. The day he landed in America it had been raining back home, and when he got here, it was raining too, Niall thought it was supposed to mean something. He wasn't sure if it did, but he always thought of that day whenever it began to drizzle.

Niall sighed and wished he had brought along his guitar or something to pass the time, he'd remember next time because boredom was a bitch. He got up and went to get one of the doughnuts Leigh-Anne had made when she came in this morning; she was a great baker. Lost in his thoughts of home and how close he was to buying a plane ticket to visit his folks and after his third doughnut, the door slammed open and a woman with a hood over her head came in. He was going to tell her that they were closed but then she opened her mouth.

"Why the fuck did it have to rain today?" she griped, pushing the hood from her head, a sigh of relief leaving her lips. "I fucking hate the rain."

It was..whatever her name was. Her. Zayn's new obsession's friend with the rude remarks.

"How may I help you?" he called out to her from his position and biting into his fourth doughnut that he knew he was going to regret later.

She looked over her shoulder at him for a brief second before going back to wringing out her damp hair.

Niall wanted to yell at her for ignoring him. She was in his shop, when he addressed her, she needed to either reply or leave. She was ruining his nostalgic moment.

"How may I help you?" he asked again, louder this time and full of impatience.

"Wanna give me a fucking minute?" she hissed over her shoulder. "Can't ya see that I'm soaked? Or are you Irish and blind?"

Niall swallowed his own scathing retort and chose to take another bite of the pastry in hand, she was really a work of art. Not just physically, but her attitude was something, something like shit on a canvas. She was such a smartass. So as she muttered more curses while shaking out her hair and shedding her wet jacket and hoodie, Niall tried not to feel any sympathy towards her when her attitude needed a good cleaning anyways. Without his knowledge, his hand was reaching to get a clean hand towel and had tossed it her way, landing on the table infront of her.

How funny would it have been if he actually hit her though? Very funny, if you asked him.

She looked at it, then Niall, and started drying her hair without another thought.

Niall scoffed. "Oh, thank you! I really needed this!" he said in a feminine voice. "Yeah, I noticed! Yer so welcome!" he said sarcastically and she glared at him.

"I didn't need your help!"

"Then give me back the towel!"

Jesy rolled her eyes and snorted, she wasn't giving it back until she was done with it. "Assuming that your name isn't actually Nialler, and it's Niall, you should be worrying about this double date bullshit our friends are trying to rope us into, not if I'm dry."

Jade was going on and on about having a double date with Zayn, and wanted her to tag along just in case Zayn tried to be a little too friendly. Zayn said that he had a single friend, Niall, and could set him up with Jesy if that would make Jade feel better. Of course Jade agreed, Jesy hadn't been on a date in forever and Zayn made Niall sound like a good guy. It would be perfect.

"No loitering," he told her.

"I'm not loitering."

"Well yer not ordering anything either," he snapped.

"Y'know, being rude isn't gonna make me want to order anything or add inches to your dick!" she sneered.

"And not thanking people when they go out of their way to help you won't make yer arse bigger," he retorted.

"Don't look at my ass."

"Don't look at me dick."

"What dick?" Jesy scoffed. "You mean that thing between your legs that's the size of my pinky?"

"You -" Niall bit his tounge. I'm at work. I'm at work, he thought so he wouldn't say something out of line. She's trying to get me upset.

Jesy smirked triumphantly when Niall didn't reply.

"What did you tell Zayn?" she asked putting the towel down on the table; that was as dry as she was going to get though she didn't feel dry enough. "Because if he talks about Jade as much as she talks about him, I know it's making your ears bleed listening to it."

She told Jade yes if it would make her happy and shut the hell up. Jesy could sit there for a few hours ignoring Niall and keeping an eye on Zayn with no problem. Jesy had seen Jade go through this cycle of emotions about a knew guy before, but there was something different about the way Jade spoke about Zayn and the way he made her feel. It was enough for Jesy to want this work out for her friend.

"Told him no," Niall lied. He was still on the fence about it, and he was leaning towards saying yes until she wanted to throw shade on his manhood; he was very well endowed and the shade was uncalled for.

"No?" she repeated.

"Now who's got the hearing problem?" Niall said crossing his arms and leaning against the wall, sensing that she was miffed about him declining. "I told him no because you seem to have an issue with people being nice."

Jesy didn't need his help and she didn't want his help, either. Growing up she learned that people simply were not nice, and if they were, they were not nice to her. Everyone that she had thought was a nice person turned out to be a devil in disguise waiting and ready to exploit her whenever they got the chance. Jade had been the only genuinely kind person she had ever met and Jesy would do anything to keep Jade happy... Even if that meant swallowing her pride.

"I can pay for my own drinks, but thanks. Thank you sooo much."

"Yer welcome," he said slowly, watching what he felt like, was her dropping her guard as she walked up to the counter with the used towel. "How may I help you? A pumpkin spice latte perhaps?"

"No, thank you. Can I have one apple cider, please?" she asked sweetly with a smile on her face that was making her nauseous. This is for Jade, she reminded herself. "And thank you for letting me use your towel."

"Sure, no problem... Name?"

Jesy tried handing him her money to avoid answering him, but he pushed it back towards her.

"Name?"

"Louise," she answered.

"For some reason I don't think that's yer name." He gave her a light smile that meant he wasn't trying to start another petty argument and that she should just cooperate. "Name?"

"Does it really matter what my name is?" she wondered, taking in how soft his hair looked before feeling insecure about the state of her own. It felt matted and probably looked like a ratty mess.

"Not really," Niall admitted and shrugged. "But I'd still like to know it."

Jesy sighed. She rolled her eyes. She clicked her tongue. Sighed again. And then she decided it wouldn't hurt, and in this case, and usually every other case, she was being difficult. He was only asking for her name, not her number or address.

"It's Jesy."

"Jesy as in...Jessica?" Niall guessed, turning around to make her drink now that he finally had a name to put with her face. He turned to her again and started to carefully slide her the steaming beverage.

"Jesy as in Jesy," she replied with another roll of her green eyes and Niall took her cup back.

"So is it Jessica?" he asked, determined not to give Jesy her cider. "We can do this until the rain stops."

"Yes!" she huffed. Be nice for Jade, she told herself. "Jesy as in Jessica."

"Great." Niall handed the cup to her and watched as she almost snatched it from him. "I'm Niall... Wanna doughnut?"

_x

"Jade, everything's going to be fine!" Jesy assured her, rubbing her back. "You look gorgeous, and if Zayn doesn't compliment you I'll -"

"Please don't threaten him, Jesy," Jade murmured with her eyes closed. "And be on your best behavior? I like him..."

"Alright, fine," she conceded. "Did you want to wear lipstick?"

"Um.." Jade opened her eyes snd fidgeted in her seat as Jesy did her makeup.

"Stay still!" Jesy demanded and Jade stopped moving, afraid that Jesy would poke her in the eye with her mascara brush. "I think you should wear some, it'll make him want to kiss you."

"But I -"

"Want him to kiss you," Jesy said for her. "The sooner the better, because the two of you are fucking sickening."

"Jesy, he's so -"

"He's so charming and sweet and funny and smart! He stays up late with me on the phone," Jesy mocked. "Yeah, I got that the first time you said it." That was almost the fifth she had.

"But he is!" Jade insisted. "And Zayn says that Niall is amazing and excited about tonight."

"Oh really?"

She accepted the doughnut from him as a peace offering until he started asking her other questions that she wasn't willing to answer. He tried to get her to talk but she just wouldn't, she still didn't know or trust Niall's intentions and she wasn't going to start opening up to him over free cider (which she had offered to pay for!) and a doughnut...no matter how delicious the doughnut was.

"Yeah, Zayn told me that Niall can play guitar.."

"Oh, how fun.." she said dully.

"And that he's left handed.."

"Really?" She hadn't noticed or even cared to notice that he was a lefty like herself.

"And he's... You really don't care, do you?" Jade asked, her eyes downcast.

No, she really didn't.

"Let's not worry about me, okay? Tonight's about you and Zayn and they should be here any minute," Jesy replied grabbing her clutch and handing Jade hers.

Meanwhile Niall was suffering the same fate.

"Wanna calm the fuck down, mate?" Niall asked Zayn and gripping his friend's shoulder so he would stop moving.

Niall could only watch as his usually confident friend, unraveled. Every ten minutes Zayn reapplied his cologne, brushed his teeth and fixed his hair and Niall found it so amusing how Jade was able to bring his friend out of character in a mere two weeks.

"I'm calm. Yeah..I'm calm," he told himself. "I should've gotten her flowers!" Zayn suddenly yelled.

"We can pick up some on the way there," Niall told him as he looked into a mirror to check himself out. His last run-in with Jesy (the weight of not knowing her name was finally off his shoulders) didn't go very well, and he hoped things would be a little better after tonight.

"I should've got them earlier. I'm such an idiot!" Zayn shouted from his bathroom.

Niall checked the time and wondered if the girls were ready. Zayn had changed his shirt four times already while Niall decided on a simple button down shirt and a tie. Jesy didn't want to be there with him so why should he really make the effort? He was being cheated out of time and money since he agreed to split the bill with Zayn -Jade wanted to go out to eat- and he had to deal with her and her smartass mouth.

"We need to get going."

"I know, I know. Does this look alright?"

Niall inspected his friend for a split second so Zayn would believe he cared about his appearance. Zayn looked good in anything he wore so it didn't really matter.

"I think it was smart to cover up your tattoos."

Zayn nodded. "I don't think Jade's really into guys with tattoos so.."

"Love how yer so into the things she likes and doesn't like."

"I actually listen when people speak, Niall," Zayn replied in a grumble, grabbing his keys.

"Not when chicks talk, just Jade," Niall sniggered and followed Zayn out the door.

They spent 10 minutes in the flower shop because Zayn couldn't remember what Jade said her favorite flower was, and when Zayn asked if Niall would buy some for Jesy he scoffed. Jesy seemed like the kind of girl to set the flowers on fire and laugh while they burned. So, no. Niall did not get her any flowers. He got her something better.

When Zayn and Niall arrived at the address Jade sent Zayn, he fixed his hair for the last time, checked his breath, tried to secretly smell himself so he didn't have to ask Niall to do it and took a few deep breaths to calm himself.

"Just knock on the damn door or ring the doorbell, ya pussy!"

"Okay!"

And he did.

They waited, and when the door opened with a quiet creak, Jesy stood before them and Niall momentarily lost his breath.

Zayn thrusted the flowers towards her. "For you."

Jesy accepted them in confusion and looked over his shoulder to see the Irishmen. He looked good, she noted.

"You shouldn't have," she replied unenthusiastically.

Zayn opened his eyes to see Jesy and not his petite desire standing there. "No, not for you." He gently took the bouquet back and covered his blushing face with them. He was never nervous on dates and now he was just being silly.

"Jade!" Jesy called out to her. "Zayn's here!"

She let them in and watched Niall walk by her before turning around and holding out something she didn't think was a traditional thing to give a girl when you took her out on a date. Never had she ever recieved one and didn't think most people did.

"A candied apple?"

"Yep. Figured you'd like it since you like apple cider so much."

Jesy cracked a smile at him and took it from him.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

Niall expected her to flip out and she didn't. It seemed like this date wouldn't be too bad after all.

Jade came down the stairs after Jesy had to retrieve her and Zayn gave her the flowers and compliment after compliment, while Niall and Jesy gagged at how chessy they were and how hard Jade was smiling because of them.

When Jade went to put the flowers in a vase, Jesy was putting her apple in the fridge. Jade couldn't believe Zayn bought her flowers. Showing up with flowers didn't seem like something he would do though she was happy he did.

Jesy eyed the apple one last time before closing the fridge door. It looked like it would hit the spot later on tonight when her cravings for sweets came around. It was nice of him to buy it for her, she thought.

"Niall, you should drive," Zayn suggested passing his friend the keys.

"But you drove over here."

"But you know the fastest way to the restaurant."

Niall shook his head knowing what Zayn was trying to do. Had he been a terrible friend, he would've cock-blocked and told him no, but he wasn't and was forced to drive with Jesy in the passenger seat. Zayn and Jade sat beside one another, Jade near the window and Zayn in the middle seat making sure he could whisper in Jade's ear.

"Move your arm." Jesy pushed Niall's elbow from the armrest and looked out the window.

"Hey, I'm drivin', I need to be comfortable." He put his elbow back in its previous place and everything went down hill from there.

"Not that damn comfortable. You just ran a fucking stop sign!"

_x

"Stop arguing with Niall!" Jade hissed to her older friend while they waited for Zayn and Niall to get their booth.

"I'm not trying to!"

"You said he was a terrible driver!"

"Because he is! He ran two stop signs and a light!"

"I don't care! Stop it!"

Jesy scoffed but held her tongue. Sorry that she didn't want to get in a car accident because their driver was incompetent.

The guys joined them and Jesy saw how Zayn put his hand on the small of Jade's back and started guiding her towards their table. Jade looked at her and gave her an awkward smile, her stomach erupting with butterflies.

Niall did not try the same move. He simply followed be pair with his hands shoved deep into his pockets. How dare she insult his driving and how dare Zayn tell him to ignore it because Jade said that Jesy was a strong personality?

"The two of you should -" And before Jesy could finish her sentence Jade was nudging her into the booth first. Jesy didn't want to be on the inside, that meant she had to wait for Jade to move so she could get out and Jade was far to engrossed in whatever Zayn was saying to care while Zayn had rudely pushed Niall into the booth as well.

They were trapped.

Niall picked up the menu that had already been placed on their table and scanned over the types of food. Decent menu, he thought, nodding in approval at some of the entrés. He stole a glance at Jesy and she was face first into her phone. Niall hated to admit it when she had been nothing but a headache since he met her, but she looked amazing tonight.

Jesy looked better than the first time he saw her and he wanted to compliment her on her appearance, but knowing her, she would take it the wrong way and give him a snarky retort. From her head to her toes she looked so stunning it made him hurt... in his pants, of course. Jesy's dress clung to her voluptuous figure in all of the right places, the tops of her breast peaking out but not too much in the slutty way, but just enough in the teasing, you wish you could see me without this dress on, don't you? way that she pulled off perfectly. Her eyes looked brilliant, her makeup only enhancing them, her lips looked as kissable as ever, and her legs. Niall didn't want to get started on what he thought of her legs.

Jade and Zayn giggled as they chatted while Jesy and Niall remained quiet. Jesy was too occupied by her phone, only speaking to their waiter who she thought was pretty cute and relaying her order before looking back at her device. While they waited, Zayn had accidentally tapped Jade's foot making her squeak, thinking it was something that would shut their eatery down and he apologized shyly. Jade forgave him and gently tapped his foot back, and so began the game of footsie between the pair.

Zayn tapped Jesy's ankle, completely missing Jade's foot, and immediately she glared at the Irishmen, her foot kicking forward hitting Niall in his shin.

"Ow! The fuck was that for?!"

"For kicking me!"

"I didn't kick you!"

"Yes, you did! I felt it!"

"I'm tellin' ya, I didn't kick you!"

"And I'm telling you that you did!" Jesy hissed, yanking Jade from her conversation.

"Jesy, let's go to the bathroom before the food gets here," Jade suggested with a, stop it, you're embarrassing me so get your shit together right fucking now, smile.

"I don't have to -"

"Yes, you do," Jade said quickly, getting up, smoothing out her dress and nearly yanking the older woman out the booth with her. "We'll be right back," she promised the boys, giving Zayn a grin that he responded to with a nod and a wink.

"Dude," Zayn said turning to Niall when the girls disappeared around the corner. "I'll admit it, I like her."

"Tell me something I don't know," Niall muttered, reaching down to rub his abused shin. Jesy's heels fucking hurt and she could kick pretty hard it seemed.

"She's amazing." Zayn sighed dreamily and his eyes shifted towards the direction Jade had left. "I feel like such a girl."

Niall snorted, still trying to soothe the pain in his leg. "I think those eyelashes of yers makes you a girl. Just enough eyeliner and mascara and you'd be fabulous. You could be the first male for CoverGirl or somethin'."

Zayn was too far gone to care how Niall insulted him right now. He just wanted Jade to come back so they could finish talking.

"What's with her?" Niall muttered.

"Who?"

"Jesy."

"Nothing. Jade said -"

And that's when Niall had begun tuning him out. He didn't give a shit about what Jade had to say. Jade kept saying these things about Jesy, but he didn't see these things. There was only a glimmer of the person Jade talked about and that Jesy, that Jesy didn't come out much.

"I told you to stop it!" hissed Jade when they entered the bathroom.

"Dammit, Jade, I'm trying!" Jesy threw her hands up.

"Well, try harder!"

"I'm not even talking to him because I know we'll start arguing, that's how hard I'm trying. I actually want you to enjoy this date," she said.

"Okay, but you can't kick him because you feel like it," Jade pointed out.

"He kicked me first! You know me better than that, Jade. You know I'm not going to let someone kick me and not kick them back!" Jesy explained crossing her arms over her chest defensively.

"Niall said he didn't kick you."

"Then who the hell did?" Jesy wanted to know.

Jade looked down and bit her lip. "Zayn might've, um...accidentally kicked you? Maybe?"

"Maybe? Why the fuck would he be kicking his feet, Jade? This ain't a playground, and the seat ain't a fucking swing."

"Um..He and I were maybe playing footsie under the table? Maybe?" Jade replied shyly.

Jesy huffed with her fists balled tightly. She tilted her head up and slowly started to count back from ten to calm herself. That meant she kicked Niall for absolutely nothing and needed to apologize.

"What the fuck?" Jesy asked herself.

"You know he didn't mean it, Jesy, so don't hurt him," Jade pleaded.

"I won't," she promised as Jade's phone buzzed. "I already know it's Zayn and he said that the food is ready. I'll try to get along with Niall for the rest of the night."

And try she did.

Jade and Zayn stopped being lovey-dovey long enough for Niall to ask Jade an embarrassing question about her and Zayn and Jesy got in on the fun. Their conversation began to flow steadily and when Jesy realized she hadn't apologized yet, to Jade's dismay, she ordered a drink. A few drink actually.

"Psst! Hey!" Jesy said to Niall.

"Huh? What? Somethin' wrong?" Niall asked. If the Jesy that returned from the bathroom was the one Jade spoke of, Niall could say that he liked this Jesy. She wasn't half bad and he could see her attempts at being friendlier.

"I just wanted to say sorry for kicking you earlier."

Jesy smiled drunkenly at him and Niall told her that it was okay. There wasn't anything he could do about it know and it might become an ugly bruise overnight.

Throughout dinner Jesy had guzzled several drinks and felt elated and giggly about everything that was said, even Niall's idiotic question about how she handled boogers on her nose piercing sent her into a laughing fit. Niall had went from annoying to attractive so quickly after her third drink. His hair looked incredible, his smile was incredible, his laugh was incredible. Jesy concluded that Niall, as a whole, was incredible. He even shared his dessert with her when she mentioned not liking hers as much as she had hoped she would; Jesy accused the facility of false advertisement saying the dessert on the menu did not look like the one that was placed infront of her.

"You...you're so funny!" Jesy slurred before she chortled, looping her arm with Niall's and leaning on him.

Niall laughed, trying to keep her steady on their walk to the car. Her legs wobbled and he would hate for her to suddenly trip over her own feet. Carefully, he was able to make sure she got inside the vehicle without bumping her head. Jesy had stumbled and he had to pull on her arm so she wouldn't fall and most likely, bring him down with her. Zayn and Jade were already in the backseat when he made his way to the drivers side door.

Jade laid her head on Zayn's shoulder while they held hands and spoke in hushed tones. Zayn gestured to their friends when Jesy had reached for Niall's hand and started playing with his fingers, asking about how often he played his guitar because of how thick his callouses were. Zayn was going to interrupt and say that the instrument wasn't the reason for the Irishmen's callouses, but Jade had sighed into his neck making him forget.

Niall and Jesy held hands the entire ride to the girls home, and not once did Jesy say anything about Niall's driving.

"This was really nice," Jade told Zayn, tucking her hair behind her ear and blushing.

"Yeah, we should do it again sometime."

Zayn had tucked both hands in his pocket, fearing that he would be tempted to pull Jade to his body and kiss her until their lungs were on fire and pleaded for mercy.

Jade wasn't like that, he reminded himself. Jade was his good girl and probably didn't kiss on the first date.

"Definitely," she agreed, her gaze flickering to his lips, and then flitting up to his eyes. Zayn hadn't made a move to kiss her all night and she had started to worry. What if he didn't find her attractive enough?

"Well, um.."

What the hell, Zayn thought, taking one hand out of his pocket and using it to pull Jade close. He pressed his lips against hers and was really close to making it his mission to smear Jade's lipstick after the first ten seconds of their liplock; Jade didn't seem to mind.

Niall snickered behind them, Jesy still using him to lean on. He was going to harass Zayn about this tomorrow.

"Zayn! Get yer tongue outta Jade's throat, it's rude!" Niall called out to his friend.

Jade laid a hand on Zayn's chest and detached their mouths. She could feel how hot her face was and didn't need a mirror to know that she was blushing. Zayn was a better kisser than she had imagined.

"Niall's a buzzkill," Zayn whispered jokingly to her.

Their eyes were closed and their foreheads were pressed together.

"I'll see you soon, right?"

"Very soon," she replied and pecked his lips once more before going into her home.

_x

"Lies!" Jesy shouted.

"I know what I saw, Jesy," Jade said confidently.

"I don't care because I don't believe you."

Jade smiled and rubbed Jesy's shoulder. "It's alright if you like Niall. You two look awesome together."

"I would look awesome with anyone," Jesy said. "I don't like him, and there was no way I was that drunk."

"Yes, you were. After you kissed Niall and went in the house, you wanted to know if I could get his number from Zayn for you. You kept asking if I thought Niall liked you back."

Jade snickered. Jesy wasn't herself after their front door closed. Her buxom friend kicked off her heels and paced around the house asking questions about Niall, admitting how attractive she found him, and how great she thought his personality he was.

"Lies!" Jesy repeated. "I would never ask that or kiss him. Ever!"

"It was more like you were eating his face off."

"Why didn't you stop me?" Jesy asked in horror, Jade did not have her back.

Jade smiled. "Because Niall didn't look like he wanted to stop and you never listen when you're drunk anyways. Zayn told me that Niall can't stop talking about it."

"Well he'd better," Jesy threatened. "I can't believe I did that," she whined.

"The best part was when you tried to take his pants off," Jade lied, cackling when Jesy paled.

"I did not! I wasn't drunk enough to do that where anybody could see me," Jesy said defensively.

"Zayn told me I tell you that Niall said to come by the cafe later if you can."

Jesy groaned. Niall must have gotten the wrong idea. "I'm never going on a double date with you again."

Niall was in a good mood the next day. He was in such a good mood that he didn't care when Leigh-Anne had showed up late with Justin, or when a customer complained about their pumpkin spice latte not having enough pumpkin flavor. The Irishmen didn't even tease Zayn about sucking face with Jade.

The last thing he had expected was for Jesy to grab him by the neck and kiss him like her life depending on it. If Jesy were to ever grab him by the neck, Niall thought it would be because she was trying to strangle him, not because she wanted to play tonsil hockey. He had no issues with her molding her mouth with his. Nil. Not when there was a perfect pair of lips on his own.

Jesy entered the cafe when Niall had went into the storage pantry. She had a seat and watched Zayn pull out his phone every few seconds and could only assume he was texting Jade. There were two other workers, the girl she recognized from the day she had gotten Zayn's number, her hair was unmistakeable. And the other was a guy saying something and doing a dance move that made the girl laugh.

He's cute, Jesy thought.

Zayn looked up from his phone and spotted Jesy sitting alone. He sent her a friendly smile and wave, happy that she had showed up when Jade told him about her reluctance to do so. When he got to work the first thing he did was taunt Niall about last night. Niall didn't seem phased by it, he was as energetic as ever, practically bouncing off the walls, and said the four of them should do that again. Zayn agreed, there wasn't a dull moment once Niall and Jesy had joined the conversation, adding humor and creating an easy-going atmosphere around them. Zayn had been afraid to suggest sharing his dessert with Jade when she didn't order one. But the intoxicated Jesy had let Niall feed her with his spoon and Jade cooed about their cute behavior until Zayn offered some of his to her. Niall was a good wingman.

"Jesy's here," Zayn informed and Niall dropped the cups in his hands at the sound of her name. Zayn chuckled. "Worst rendition of the Cup Song, ever."

"Fuck you. How do I look?" Niall asked, messing with a few strands of hair.

Zayn tilted his head and squinted his eyes. "You look like a barista."

"Yer a shit friend, Zayn."

"But you do! What am I supposed to do, give you my cologne to spray on?" Zayn replied.

"You could."

"You smell like pumpkin," Zayn told him with a smirk. "Jesy might like that better than my cologne."

Niall groaned. "She'll hate it."

Zayn shrugged and bent over to start collecting the cups. "You're at work she'll understand."

"You think so?" Niall really hoped so.

"Not if you keep her waiting out there any longer."

"Right, right." Niall patted himself down and walked out the pantry, leaving Zayn to the cups.

He had Justin make him an apple cider and a regular black coffee and grab some doughnuts before he sat with her. Justin made a comment about who the hell drinks apple cider but old people and children, and Niall told him to shut up and just make the drinks. If Jesy liked apple cider then there wasn't anything wrong with that.

"Hey," Niall greeted with a grin, placing the cups and sweets on the table. "Thought you might want some. Sorry for the wait."

"Thanks," she mumbled, not meeting his eyes and grabbing her drink. "I just got here, I haven't been waiting long."

"Yeah, but I asked for you to come and made you wait."

"You were working, it's okay," Jesy assured him, taking a sip and sighing contently. It was freezing today and the hear from her beverage was warming up her cold fingers while she held it with both hands.

"Yeah..." Niall replied quietly. Now which Jesy is this? he wondered. It definitely wasn't the rude Jesy he was used to, she hadn't said anything mean yet, and it couldn't be drunk Jesy because she was very friendly, while this one just wasn't saying much of anything.

"Is there a reason you won't look me in me eyes?" Niall asked, bringing his cup to his mouth.

"Not really." Jesy shrugged, looking off to the side. "Maybe I don't feel like looking at you?"

Niall frowned. "Then why'd you come if you weren't going to look at me?"

Because in the few minutes she had waited for him, she remembered everything that had transpired between them on the double date. Memories of the jokes, her thoughts about him being attractive and incredible, the dessert, the hand holding and the kiss came back to her and stolen her bravado. She had no choice but to acknowledge that she actually adored the time she spent with Niall. And as much as she wanted to blame her behavior on the alcohol, she couldn't, alcohol only made her say and do things she normally wouldn't do with her guard up. Some were say that they were secret desires of hers that would never be filled because she wouldn't consciously act on them. That was why she denied everything Jade accused her of saying and doing so passionately. Drunk Jesy told no lies.

Jesy had a predilection for funny guys that were nice and talented, so why wouldn't she like Niall? Drunk or not? She knew she would.

Her problem was that she didn't want to like Niall.

Her proclivity for keeping her distance and keeping her walls up so high is why she was always so blunt rude. Jesy was tired off being hurt by men and being overly aggressive had kept her safe from ever being mislead by one again. She disconnected herself from emotions and focused on other things like work, her friendship with Jade, and other things that made her happy. She had perfected the art of being cold hearted and played the game as well as any man. Jesy didn't want to give guys a chance because chances meant that there was a chance she could walk away scarred. Every time she had given them a chance, she always left with one and she didn't think it was going to change anytime soon.

"Because you wanted me to," she said easily, grabbing a doughnut and biting into it.

Jesy didn't want to fight with herself about her feelings. It had to mean something if she was feeling them to begin with. If Niall was able to make her feel anything or than angry, she would accept that maybe he was worth a chance. Years had passed since the last time she had ever had any attachment to a guy that wasn't purely physical, and it was about time she started aiming for the emotional attachment again. And Niall seemed to like her enough.

"Yeah, yesterday was fun. Don't you think?" he asked scooting his chair closer to the table.

Jesy nodded, biting into her doughnut again. "We should do it again."

Niall was still frowning. He felt so confused. He was expecting to have a little banter with her or even talk about their friends being entirely too mushy on a first date but he wasn't getting any of that.

"Are ya sick?" he asked. It was cold last night and her dress was a little shorter than it needed to be. Maybe that was why she was acting so out of character.

"No, I'm fine."

"No, yer not!" Niall said raising his voice. "Yer being weird, Jesy. Say somethin' bad about me driving. Make a remark about me smellin' like pumpkin. For fucks sake, kick me!" he demanded.

Jesy met his eyes and arched a brow at him. "Why would I do any of that?"

"Because... Because that's what you do!" he replied. "Is this about the kiss? I know you were drunk, but you kissed me!"

"I know."

Niall sighed and pulled his hair. "Then why aren't you saying anything about it? Or doing something?"

"Because there's nothing to say or do about it. It happened."

"Nothing?!" he screeched. "What?!"

"Niall, calm down," Jesy told him. He was getting hysterical and people were started to watch.

"How can I calm down when you're making this awkward?"

Now it was time for Jesy to frown. "I'm not trying to make this awkward."

"But you are!"

"Okay then, I'll try not to." Jesy took a sip thinking about why this was awkward for him. "Why'd you want me to come by today? I know it wasn't so you could give me a free drink? Thanks again for this." She raised her cup to him. "And the candied apple from yesterday. I ate it this morning. Do you make the doughnuts? These are delicious."

Niall gaped. Here he was, freaking out, and she decides to start a normal conversation.

"No, I don't, Leigh-Anne makes them. They're amazing. And uh.. yer welcome? And no, that's not why I wanted you to drop by," Niall said, taking a sip of his neglected coffee that was getting cold.

"Well, she makes great doughnuts." Jesy reached for another one. "So what did you want to talk about? I know you didn't want to talk about apple cider and doughnuts."

Niall shook his head and smiled. This was unbelievable. Why is it that he could speak to her when she had an attitude or when she was drunk, but not when she wanted to have a regular talk?

"I wanted to see if you were okay, and how you felt about yesterday," he admitted. "I had a great time."

Jesy smiled, and Niall could be wrong, but he thought it was a shy smile that laid on her lips. He would have never guessed that Jesy was capable of being shy.

"I'm fine. I took my hangover like a pro." She laughed. "Yesterday was fun. And I'm still sorry about kicking you. Zayn kicked me because he was playing footsie with Jade and I just assumed you wanted revenge for my smartass mouth."

Niall quickly looked over his shoulder at his friend, again, absorbed in his phone, Zayn didn't tell him that he had played footsie with Jade.

"It's alright, I'll just kick Zayn later," he told her when he turned back around, and she smiled. "And I kinda like yer smartass mouth."

"Do you really?" she teased.

"Yep, it's nothing I can't handle."

Jesy smirked. and when she did, Niall knew he would get to know her and her smartass mouth a lot more.


End file.
